Let’s Hear it for the Minis!

So I was originally going to call this post, ‘Weekend Sewing’ or something similar to that, as most of these sweet little minis were started on a weekend! But I thought not. Instead, I chose to capture the flourishing obsession that’s been growing inside of me lately for making mini quilts!!

Let’s hear it for the Mini Quilts! Hooray!

The first mini that has come across my sewing table is my cutest-of-cute Pandamonium Mini Quilt by Fat Quarter Shop!

PandaMiniQuilt1

Gahh! Isn’t she the sweetest?! I smile like a Cheshire every time I look at it!

I chose to keep as close to the true colours that are in the original pattern, using a few subtle print fabrics for the white and pink parts and keeping the rest as basic solid colours. I stuck to my ‘traditional’ version of straight-line vertical quilting, backing it with a black and cream floral print fabric that was the perfect find within my stash! (I had one of those, ‘Oh, I forgot I had this fabric! It’s absolutely perfect for this project! Yay!’) I then finished it off with a green binding, a lot like the one in the pattern.

PandaMiniQuilt3

PandaMiniQuilt2

This little beauty now hangs on my bedroom door, where I pass it every day with a smile as it captures everything I love about quilting… pattern, texture, line, colour, shape, geometry and creativity!

+++

Mini number two: my Patchwork Pineapple Mini by Sassafras Lane Designs for Dear Stella!

PineappleMini1

I’ve only quite recently become partial to the odd pineapple design or two, whether it be on fabric, on a t-shirt, in the kitchen, in ornament form or as a fun little quilt pattern!

I think I first came across this design on Pinterest. Then on Instagram. And then again on Facebook. I saw it as a sign and thought I should investigate it more… As soon as I saw that it was a FREE pattern, I knew then that I just had to make it!

And so I did!

Now I must admit, I did alter the pattern a little bit – I made mine slightly bigger than what the pattern says to make it. Instead of the finished mini measuring 8.5″x11.5″, mine measures 19.5″x27.5″! I simply wanted to make it a bit bigger so that it would fit the space I’m planning on hanging it. I think one day I’ll make it to the true size of the original, but at right now, I’m super-happy with the results I have with this one!

PineappleMini2

I chose to quilt a simple design, echoing the patchwork squares that make up the main body of the pineapple. Now I just have to finish hand sewing the binding to the back, make and stitch a rod pocket to the top, give it a good press and then hang it into place! Yay!

+++

And the last mini that has been making my life happy and one that I’m pretty sure I’ve over-shared these last couple days/weeks is my Crown of Thorns Mini Quilt!

CrownofThronsMiniQuilt7

I’m so darned proud of this little beauty and I’m so happy that you all seem to like it too! All of your lovely feedback and comments about it have simply blown me away, making me so thankful for such delightful and supportive readers, viewers and friends! Thank you!!

So I really hope you don’t mind me sharing a few more photos with you… This last one is where the quilt has ended up – on the wall above my sewing table, where I can admire it as I design, cut, sew, quilt and daydream!

CrownofThronsMiniQuilt8

If you would like to make this yourself, you can check out the tutorial I made here!

+++

Have you been making any fun little Mini Quilts lately? Let me know! I would love to be inspired by you!

😀

Happy Sewing, Friends!

xx

PS. Don’t forget to enter my RJR Fabrics GIVEAWAY! Click here to find out how to enter! Entries close: Friday 7th August 2015!

Goodluck!

x

RJR Supreme Cotton Fabrics Blog Hop!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been having so much fun choosing, playing, cutting, stitching and just simply swooning over all of these beautiful Cotton Supreme Solids by RJR Fabrics in preparation to join their RJR Supreme Cotton Fabric Blog Hop today!

IMG_4444

As soon as I was asked to be a part of it, out came the quilting books and Pinterest searches as I dove straight into planning what I could do to show case as many of the beautiful colours in the range as I could! And once I clasped eyes on the Crown of Thorns block, I knew instantly that it was the perfect one to use!

CrownofThornsMiniQuilt1:AmandaRolfe

Now, the idea to create this mini quilt like I have was purely down to the fact that I couldn’t choose between all of the wonderfully vibrant colours I had available to pick from! I was like a little kid with a box full of scrumptious chocolates as I opened the Colour Card that was sent to me! As I unfolded and unfolded and unfolded the card, my eyes lit up every time at the abundant amount of fabrics lined up in perfect colour order. (I’m quite sure a big, ‘Oh, wow!!’ escaped my lips as well!) So because of that, I chose four different variants of four different colours in the range, from lightest to darkest, along with three neutral shades of white, cream and grey to help showcase my colour choices.

CrownofThornsMiniQuilt3:AmandaRolfe

To be honest, I had never used Cotton Supreme Solids by RJR Fabrics before, so I was eager to know what the quality would be like. And wow! Was I impressed! The fabrics are so beautiful! Super-soft to handle, the colours are insanely vibrant and true, they’re easy to press and cut and, the best bit, they sew like a dream through the sewing machine! What more could you ask for?! They’re absolutely perfect for any fabric project you could ever dream of making!

IMG_4445

I think the thing that I loved most about using these fabrics was the gentle softness in their handle. You know how sometimes you can buy those cheap, nasty like solids that feel rough and stiff and the weave is just slightly more open than it should be…? Well, the Cotton Supreme Solids are the complete opposite to that! They’re like luxury to touch and use, and feel almost satin-like between your fingers…Hmm, heaven! And because of this, they were such a pleasure to sew with! I found it so easy to press, trim and piece the fabrics exactly the way that I wanted without having any unnecessary fuss with fraying edges or unwanted movement when it came to quilting it. And it’s those kind of experiences that make quilting the best thing ever!!

CrownofThornsMiniQuilt4

For the quilting, I chose to explore a design I had never really attempted before: the grid! I quilted the lines kind of off-set to the Crown of Thorns block just to add a little bit of interest and movement to the surface of the quilt. It also gave me a great excuse to put to use my new Clover Hera Marker and to see if all the fuss around it was worth it! (And it is, by the way!) Being able to mark my lines before quilting them gave me a lot more confidence in being able to sew a decent straight line while keeping the grid pattern perfectly spaced and even!

CrownofThornsMiniQuilt6

Now, if you yourself want to try out these fabrics and see just how wonderful they are to use, RJR Fabrics have hooked me up with a Fat Quarter bundle with every single Cotton Supreme Solid fabric that I’ve used in my mini quilt to GIVEAWAY to you!! Yay!

RJRFabricsBundle

To enter, all you have to do is comment on this post with what you would love to make with these fabrics if you’re the lucky winner! The giveaway is open internationally and the most creative answer will win! THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

And also, because I’ve had so much fun making this little mini, I’ve made a tutorial for my YouTube channel showing you how to make it!

Enjoy!

Measurement and cutting info:

To make the quilt top you will need to cut from the white fabric:

– x16: 5″ squares

– x5: 4.5″ squares

– x2: 16″ squares

From the grey, cut:

– x4: 4.5″ squares

And then from each of the 16 colours, cut:

– x1: 5″ square

FINAL BLOCK SIZE: 20.5″x20.5″ approx.

To make the rest of the quilt you will need:

– x1: 36″x36″ square of backing fabric

– x1:36″x36″ square of cotton batting

– 12″xWOF cream fabric for the binding (cut into x5: 2.5″ strips)

FINAL QUILT SIZE: 30″x30″ approx.

Cotton Supreme Solid Fabrics I used:

Optical White (33): quilt top and backing

Graystone (155): quilt top centre

Linen White (32): binding

Colours – from lightest to darkest in colour groups:

Banana Cream Pie (336) / Carrot (131) / Mandarin (159) / Chilli Pepper (49)

Meadowland (352) / Grass is Always Greener (347) / Aloe Verde (349) / Shamrock (109)

Pool Side (327) / Turks & Caicos (292) / Bora Bora (328) / Denim (106)

Hydrangea (214) / Opera Mauve (123) / Amethyst (215) / Grape (121)

May we just take a minute to appreciate how awesome some of the names of these fabrics are! I think my favourite would have to be ‘Pool Side’! It’s currently winter in Australia and I couldn’t think of anything better than being pool side, drinking up the glorious warmth of the summer sun and watching the light sparkle on the surface of the water! Ooo, heaven!

CrownofThornsMiniQuilt5

If you’re keen on giving this mini quilt a go, feel free to share your results with me on Instagram, Twitter or on my Facebook page!

Also, if you would like to know more about the RJR Supreme Cotton Fabric Blog Hop and are curious to see what other quilters have made using these fabrics, check out their Facebook page!

A big thanks to Laura and the team at RJR Fabrics for inviting me to join this Blog Hop! It’s the first one I’ve ever been a part of and I’ve had so much fun playing and making with such lovely fabrics!

RJR Solids Blog Hop banner

Happy Sewing, Friends!

xx

PS. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!!!

A Rescheduled Post

Hello Friends!

You may’ve noticed that I didn’t publish that post I promised I was going to yesterday…

Many apologies!

Unfortunately, I received an email yesterday morning that the post & project I was going to share with you had been rescheduled for the end of the month. It’s just one of those things that had been doubled booked!!

Luckily for you though, I’ve decided to share a sneaky little photo of the project I made just because I’m too excited not to!

Crown of Thorns Mini Quilt
Crown of Thorns Mini Quilt

So be on the lookout in the last week of July for a post detailing you more on the what, where, when and whys (plus more photos AND a tutorial!) of this gorgeous Crown of Thorns Mini Quilt!

😉 🙂

Happy Saturday, Friends!

xx